Investigations on the influence of heat on AA1050 sheet during incremental forming

With the advancement in technologies, Incremental Forming (IF) emerges as one of the best solutions for exclusive forming of components. As the demand of industrial products shifts from mass production to mass customization, IF process gives an option to produce components having unique features. The overall cost, when compared with other conventional forming techniques, is low, and the process is highly flexible and efficient. However, the behaviour of materials plays a vital role in the effectiveness of the process. The material properties, being highly dependent on temperature, influence the process outcomes. Various differential trends in the results are observed when the IF is carried out in different thermal conditions. The work presents a comprehensive study of the IF process on an Aluminium Alloy (AA1050) sheet at different heating conditions. The IF was initially carried out on a commercially available AA1050 sheet blank at average room temperature. Afterward, the process was done by heating the sheet during the IF operation. Besides, the IF process on the preheated sheet was studied from the literature. The observations for IF process in different forming conditions are distinct. The results were highly influenced by heat and thermal conditions. With the help of numerical simulations and experimental investigations, the differences in the outcomes are quantified. The results in terms of strain energy, stresses induced, springback in formed components along with minimum thickness and surface quality, recommend the use of heat in controlled amount during the incremental forming process.